Jeremiah’s Complaint

Jeremiah 20:7–11 ESV

O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, “Violence and destruction!” For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my close friends, watching for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him.” But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten.

Opening Prayer

Jeremiah was a prophet

Today we will see this role a witness

we all are called to be witnesses

There are some principles here for all of us.

Jeremiah’s Complaint

Jeremiah 20:7–8 ESV

O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, “Violence and destruction!” For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.

You deceived me, you are stronger than I am, I have become a laughing stock.

Is it ok to talk to God like that?!!!!

Jeremiah was born into the life pa priests

God called him out to be a prophet

During a time God proclaimed harsh judgement on Israel.

This proved to be more than just difficult.

Verse 8 (paraphrase)

Your word has become a source of rejection and ridicule for me.

Jeremiah had just experienced harsh opposition for his faithfulness … (from someone who should have been safe)

Jeremiah 20:1–2 ESV

Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the Lord.

Principle One: Since the world is sinful, opposition to the truth is expected.

Jeremiah’s Struggle

Jeremiah 20:9 ESV

If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

So at some points, Jeremiah was like, “You know, I’m not very popular at all. I think for now on, I’m just gonna keep my mouth shut and not speak for God.”

I think we can appreciate that.

How many of us have felt that maybe the right move was to just not speak for God at this particular time?

After all our culture has changed to where people don’t tolerate hearing about the gospel anymore.”

Jeremiah can relate to us. He so pretty extreme culture shift...

Jerusalem was established as the dwelling place of God!

But Jeremiah saw a much different Jerusalem...

Jeremiah 19:1–5 ESV

Thus says the Lord, “Go, buy a potter’s earthenware flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests, and go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. You shall say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such disaster upon this place that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents, and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind—

“they have profaned this place”

They actually set up idols to false God in the ACTUAL TEMPLE!!!

Jeremiah had taken them here to the “Valley of the Son of Hinnom”

This is the place where they built shrines to worship baal and molech

This practice involved child sacrifice

burning them alive on the shrine.

If we were to be talking Jeremiah about how hard is it to speak for God in our culture.... he would be able to talk about that.

I’m not suggesting that he would be “one upping us”

I’m just saying that Jeremiah knew what it was like to have a culture of people who rejected the truth.

He spoke up anyway and we see in chapter 20, that he paid for it!

Principle Two: God has called you to be faithful, not popular.

Jeremiah’s Opposition

Jeremiah 20:10 ESV

For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my close friends, watching for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him.”

Keep in mind:

The contempt for Jeremiah was because

He was speaking the word of God

warning them of impending wrath because of their sin.

but what does he get?

Catch what he said here:

“denounce him … we can overcome him and take our revenge on him...”

says… “all my CLOSE FRIENDS”

Jeremiah faced physical opposition

even from those closest to him.

I’m not sure what is worse...

chief officer who openly opposed him

close friends who “whisper” their contempt.

Principle Three: If the world rejects the gospel, they will oppose you for sharing it.

Jeremiah’s Vindication

Jeremiah 20:11 ESV

But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten.

Ultimately we see the thing that kept Jeremiah going

Faith that God would vindicate him.

Lord = DREAD WARRIOR

feared warrior

God has always promised to faithfully take care of those who faithfully serve him.

There is also the reality that we would need a god who is like a Dread Warrior.

Because the reality is that those who speak up for God are often time speaking against the cultural norms (aka sin) that has become so normal.

And they are not going to like you for that.

Principles of truth for every witness:

Principle One: Since the world is sinful, opposition to the truth is expected.

Principle Two: God has called you to be faithful, not popular.

Principle Three: If the world rejects the gospel, they will oppose you for sharing it.

Principle Four: God has not promised to protect you from suffering, He has promised to deliver you from it..

closing prayer